Czech and Slovak Defense Ministers to Meet
Czech and Slovak defense ministers will meet in Bratislava today to hold talks on the reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank.
The parliament of the Czech Republic is preparing to approve a motion that will officially permit the deployment of approximately 650 Czech soldiers into neighboring Slovakia. Aside from regulating the inflow of refugee traffic from war-torn Ukraine, the mandate aims to set a defensive bloc in Eastern Europe as a check against Russian aggression in Ukraine, which has developed into a full-scale invasion. If approved, the soldiers will serve within the multinational unit of NATO under the Czech army’s command.
Although the right-wing Russophile circles in Slovakia—most notably SMER-SD— will likely oppose the controversial move deeming it unconstitutional, expect the Czech and Slovak delegates to reach an agreement regarding the terms of taking collective action. Moving forward, expect other Eastern NATO members—such as Hungary and Poland—to follow suit as they could also set up lines of defensive troops within their borders in the near future. With this initiative, NATO aims to employ a collaborative containment strategy with the aim of pressuring Moscow out of occupied regions in Ukraine during the long-term.
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